Matthew C. Sostrin

Overview

Matt Sostrin is a counsel in Mayer Brown's Chicago office and a member of the Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Environmental practices. Matt represents clients in toxic tort, product liability, and environmental litigation. Matt also represents clients in consumer class actions against financial institutions, securities class actions, accounting matters, and a wide variety of commercial disputes.

Matt’s primary focus is on developing legal strategies and briefing dispositive and other motions in state and federal courts around the country. Matt also has substantial experience bringing and defending Daubert and Frye motions concerning the admissibility of scientific and other expert testimony.

Matt was the principal drafter of the report issued by the Police Accountability Task Force (2016), which recommended reforms to the Chicago Police Department and its oversight bodies.

Matt joined Mayer Brown in 2003, leaving for a year in 2013 to clerk for the Hon. Thomas M. Durkin of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Areas of Focus

Spoken Languages

English

Experience

Toxic Tort

Defended a former owner of a seed warehouse against claims asserted by 300 plaintiffs who were recruited by Erin Brokovich and alleged that they were exposed to solvents in area groundwater; prevailed on summary judgment by establishing that our client did not cause the contamination and had no reason to know of contamination caused by a prior owner of the property.

Defended a former owner of a wood treatment facility against claims asserted by 1,400 neighboring residents who alleged that they were exposed to air emissions containing dioxins and other chemicals, all claims settled after we moved for summary judgment under the state statute of repose.

Product Liability

National and trial level defense of a multinational entity that sold asbestos and asbestos-containing products; secured numerous grants of summary judgment as well as a defense verdict following a three-week jury trial in Cook County, Illinois.

Defended a chemical manufacturer in lawsuits filed by 1,400 coal miners claiming respiratory injuries from exposure to isocyanate products used for roof support and ventilation control in underground coal mines.

National and trial level defense of a former diacetyl supplier in butter flavorings litigation; developed our client’s strategy for resolving approximately 400 claims in connection with its chapter 11 reorganization; secured the transfer of all claims against our client, its subsidiary, and another company to the federal court where our client’s bankruptcy case was pending, facilitating a global resolution of the claims.

Represented a chemical manufacturer in a putative class action alleging that the company's herbicide atrazine has contaminated public water supplies.

Environmental

Representing a natural gas distribution company against RCRA and state law claims asserted by a municipality alleging that a former manufactured gas plant is the source of oil and methane gas detected a half mile away near a former municipal landfill.

Represented a natural gas distribution company in an EPA enforcement action under TSCA involving PCBs in natural gas pipeline systems.

Represented a railroad in state and federal court actions filed by regulators and neighboring landowners concerning solvents and diesel fuel in the groundwater near a former rail yard.

Defended a former owner of a manufacturing facility against CERCLA and state law claims to recover response costs for residual thorium contamination.

Defended a former owner of 14 chemical plants against CERCLA and contract claims asserted by the current owner to allocate environmental response costs.

Defended a tenant against the landlord’s CERCLA, RCRA, and state law claims involving groundwater contamination caused by a prior occupant; secured the exclusion of the landlord’s remediation expert’s testimony following a Daubert hearing.

Other Litigation

Defended a national bank against putative class actions alleging that the bank improperly processed ACH transactions on behalf of tribal and offshore payday lenders.

Represented a national bank in post-judgment and bankruptcy proceedings to collect a $43 million judgment against multi-millionaire borrowers.

Defended the founders of an educational software company against litigation filed by minority shareholders that sought to enjoin the $455 million sale of the company; secured denial of injunctive relief and dismissal of all claims; affirmed by state supreme court.

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